Petco and Pet Smart!!!!

[bersaguy]

This is a response to my post in Our Fur friends when I was talking about dog snacks made in China. Petco and and Petsmart are both pulling all their dog treats from their shelves that are made in China. I have been posting to different sites for a couple years about pet snacks from China were killing dogs here and on the CBS World News tonight they announced that a chemical China has been putting in dog treats have killed over 1000 dogs.

 

Back about 6 years ago a friend of mine gave Kasey a couple jerky treats while we were visiting them. He said he gave them to his dogs all the time. I picked up the bag of Waggin Trails and it said made in USA so I didn't think anything about it. One day he called me up and told me his Lab had died. It suffered Kidney failure and he had to put him down. Next time I was in Sams, where he bought his dog treats I picked up a bag of Waggin Trail Jerky treats and it said made in China on the bag. I called my friend and ask hm to see where the treats he had were made and he went ballistic when he read it was now being made in China.

 

 

I called the 800 number on their bag and requested to know why they left America and went to China to have their products made and she said, Our Company was having difficulty finding enough chicken  in America to make their treats. I asked her if their company tried calling Tyson and she hung up on me. 

 

I ask my Vet if there was any snack products for pets that she trusted and her reply was not any more. She said companies like Nestles say they are made in America but really they are made in China and packaged in America. Reason being China would not package anything without their bar codes and Name on the packaging. In turn American companies began buying their products un-packaged and doing their own. She said that the only dog foods she felt she could trust was Pedigree which is made here in Franklin, Tennessee. You can all find some interesting reading below!    .Now yall made know why I could for Kasey and give her human jerky treats................jmho

 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/red-flag-ingredients/propylene-glycol-dog-food-aid-or-automotive-anti-freeze/

 

 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/dog-food-chin/

 

 

http://rt.com/usa/220135-chinese-dog-food-deaths/

 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/chicken-jerky-treats-suspects/

 

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/05/19/toxic-jerky-treats-linked-to-more-than-1000-dog-deaths/

Edited January 7, 2015 by bersaguy

[TrickyNicky]

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I called the 800 number on their bag and requested to know why they left America and went to China to have their products made and she said, Our Company was having difficulty finding enough chicken  in America to make their treats. I asked her if their company tried calling Tyson and she hung up on me. 
 

I wish I could like even just this bit 10 more times! :cheers: :up:

[K191145]

I don't think it's just the dog treats but a whole lot more stuff. I don't trust anything that says, "packaged in so and so town USA"

I'm a libertarian for the most part but I wouldn't protest legislation that forced companies to post where products were actually made and produced in clear writing on the lable. There needs to be some law suits against some of these companies, people need to know not to buy certain products, especially any food or drug products made in China. I know it's hard not to buy crap from China, alot of electronics like this computer and most all phones come from China, you just can't hardly buy anything these days that's not made in China.

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

Thanks for sharing this! I don't know if you shop at Sams Club, but I found chicken jerky there that is made in Idaho. It's in a huge 3lb bag and it was only $14 or so. My mutts love it.

Mars is in Frankin, I actually have a patient who works for them. She's a scientist who helps develop new products, she brings me samples from time to time to have the pups try.

[dawgdoc]

So vets have been hearing about chicken jerky causing kidney disease for some time now--first in Australia, and then in America.  Up until recently, most of the chicken jerky was made in China; one reason that was suggested is that China has a surplus of white meat because they prefer dark meat.  Regardless, vets like me have been telling their clients to not feed chicken jerky for years, but it was only recently in the last year that the FDA has even issued a warning to consumers.

 

Part of the problem is that no one has determined precisely what the problem is.  Different labs have found different substances, but they have not proven that those substances are the cause (one was an antibiotic prohibited in chickens, but it shouldn't have cause kidney disease in dogs).  Since the FDA has made their announcement about jerky-related illness (http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm295445.htm), I have noticed that many of the brands now say "Made in the USA."  However, I still warn owners to not feed chicken and duck jerky since we don't know if it is inherently safer being made in America.  For all we know, it could be something that occurs as part of the jerkification process, in which case it may not matter where it is made.

 

I have seen several cases of dogs with unexplained liver and kidney enzyme elevations that resolved when jerky was discontinued.  When you think about it, chicken jerky seems unnatural, and it is a relatively recent invention.

 

So my advice is to not feed any poultry jerky at all, regardless of who makes it or where it is made.

Edited January 7, 2015 by dawgdoc

[K191145]

I just looked on a can of Special Kitty cat food I gave to some outdoor cats I have earlier, the label says, "distributed by Wal Mart Bentonville Arkansas." Yea, they distributed it after they loaded the shipping container off a cargo ship from China on a truck to their warehouse. I want to see on the label where the hell it's actually made. That's decietful to put packaged or distrubited by.

[dawgdoc]

Another thing about Chinese chicken jerky--the Chinese government apparently requires that all of this type of product be sterilized by irradiation.  I have no problem with using irradiation to sterilize things, but there is speculation that perhaps the irradiation process released a chemical from the plastic packaging and contaminated the chicken.  It's not that it makes it radioactive, but the energy could inadvertently affect the product, perhaps.

 

Look on food (human and pet) packages for this symbol:

 

 

It means the food has been irradiated.  Somewhat misleading, isn't it?

[Pain103]

 I don't know about all of those but I feed my boy Purina pro plan it seems to do fine. One meal a day gives him all he needs to maintain energy and his size.

[bersaguy]

Up until about a year ago China would not make any products for humans or pets that did not say Made in China and have a Chinese bar code on it. American companies began noticing that their products began remaining on shelves and not selling. Because of the slump in ordering products from China China finally decided to begin allowing pet food companies to purchase just the products and let them do their own packaging. That is what Nestles began doing and on their packages of their products it says packaged in the USA and not made in the USA. I am sincerely hoping that enough pressure is put on all of the American companies that they just totally quite buying anything from China and begin making their own products here. They may cost a little more but I truly believe most Americans are willing to pay a few cents more for truly American Products.............jmho

[monkeylizard]

I truly believe most Americans are willing to pay a few cents more for truly American Products.............jmho

 

I disagree. Outside of niche or certain luxury products, people will buy on price not on principal. That's why Wal-Mart parking lots are packed.

[bersaguy]

I disagree. Outside of niche or certain luxury products, people will buy on price not on principal. That's why Wal-Mart parking lots are packed.

 

Walmart parking lots were full back when Sam Walton was running them and they had primarily almost 95% American made Products also. People shopped at Walmart long before they went to China and long before they sold groceries and I honestly believe Walmarts parking lots would be full if they offered more American made products. I quit going to Walmart except in emergencies when I cannot find something any place else. They are my very last choice to shop at for about anything. In all honesty I think Americans are getting tired of buying low quality products if they could buy better grade American made products..............jmho

[tennesseetiger]

My animals get Blue Buffalo brand products and thats it...nothing else.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Every time we tried poultry jerky pet treats the dogs threw up. We quite giving them any treats for pets and give them stuff meant for human consumption if they MUST have a treat.

My wife and I have talked about cubing some steaks and dehydrating them for the dogs.

[monkeylizard]

Walmart parking lots were full back when Sam Walton was running them and they had primarily almost 95% American made Products also. People shopped at Walmart long before they went to China and long before they sold groceries and I honestly believe Walmarts parking lots would be full if they offered more American made products. I quit going to Walmart except in emergencies when I cannot find something any place else. They are my very last choice to shop at for about anything. In all honesty I think Americans are getting tired of buying low quality products if they could buy better grade American made products..............jmho

 

That was a different era. When Sam was running the show, he got the lower prices by buying in huge volumes and running on very slim margins. Nobody was doing any real offshore across the spectrum of products. He didn't have to compete against retailers offshoring 95% of their merchandise. Sure, most electronics were from Japan or Taiwan, and you had a lot of clothing done south of the border, but there was plenty of USA Made product to choose from even in those categories. There's no way to go back now. If Wal-Mart moved back to 95% USA made products (which they can't do today because almost nothing's made here any more), their prices would be too high and their customers would shop at Dollar General, Fred's, and Target who would still be ordering products from China. When a burger flipper wants $10/hr in the US while a guy in China builds flat screen TVs for $0.75/hr at a factory with no OSHA or EPA regulations, how can we ever economically make the flat screen TVs over here? Wal-Mart would be selling a flat screen made in Toshiba's Lebanon plant for 4 times the price of one from Sony made in China on sale at Best Buy. Oh wait....they can't because Toshiba had to close that plant.

Edited January 7, 2015 by monkeylizard

[suspiciousmind]

Y'all support your local dog shops and buy food from small dog food companies and you don't gottta worry about strange food from China. :)

[maroonandwhite]

I used to feed Pro Plan but have been giving my three science diet for a few years now. They tolerate it well.

 

Edit: Just checked on their site and they say made in the USA with ingredients from North America, Europe, New Zealand and somewhere else. Good enough for me.

Edited January 7, 2015 by maroonandwhite

[Dane]

Lots of brands are made here in the US. Nutro is right here in TN. Taste of the Wild is another brand that comes to mind. Frankly I don't care where Pedigree is made, it is junk. Read the ingredients, flavored corn.

[dawgdoc]

Need to share this with y'all, and I figure this thread was the right place:  http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=36295&callshare=1

 

 

 

Dogs fed jerky-style pet treats labeled as made in the United States are turning up with a rare kidney disease that’s been associated with jerky made in China.

[JPR1959]

I had to put down one dog due to the Chinese treats, never again.  Our dogs won't eat Nutro, and we won't feed them anything that has corn in it.  We purchase http://www.orijen.ca/products/dog-food/.  It is very pricey, but it's a top rated food. 

 

I try and stay away from any food products that says made in China.  How can a country with starving people sell us food?

[bersaguy]

Well, I have read most all the posts here and the links I could open up. I have been feeding Kasey Pedigree since her vet recommends it as a part of her diet along with Crockpot chicken breasts. She also feeds it to her own dogs and has been for years. As far as Kasey's jerky snacks, she gets Jack's Links Turkey Or Beef Jerky treats several times a day and has been for almost 10 years now with not adverse effects at all and she goes in for vet check ups twice a year. Her vet said except for the fact that she is a little over weight she is very very healthy to be 15+ years old and seems very happy. I don't plan on changing anything and will continue to show her love and when she does make the trip to Doggie Heaven she will not go there without all the love I can show her while shes here.............. :up:  :up:

Edited March 31, 2015 by bersaguy

[wileecoyote]

I've done EXTENSIVE research on healthy pet foods and treats over the past 20 years. I've talked to dozens of vets, scientists, manufacturers, and research labs. I've read dozens of reports with facts, pros and cons on all of the common ingredients. I've fed nearly everything to one or more of my own pets and to family and friends pets as well. After all of this experience, I've come to realize that the absolute best dog food is ORIJEN dry food, and the best treat is an all natural BULLY STICK. I buy my ORIJEN at Nashville Pet Products (4066 Andrew Jackson Pkwy, Hermitage, TN 37076) and my BULLY STICKS from bestbullysticks.com

These don't have any fillers or unnatural ingredients, they are low carb and are made from the natural food sources eaten by animals in the wild, and they are extremely healthy. Since switching to these, my dogs have been able to eat all they want, I leave the bowls down and full 24x7, and my vets have frequently commented that they've never seen healthier pets. They are ideal weight, great teeth, never had a health problem at all.

I also occasionally get them PUPCORN from Walmart, and CET Virbac chews, both of which are healthy too.

[maroonandwhite]

I've done EXTENSIVE research on healthy pet foods and treats over the past 20 years. I've talked to dozens of vets, scientists, manufacturers, and research labs. I've read dozens of reports with facts, pros and cons on all of the common ingredients. I've fed nearly everything to one or more of my own pets and to family and friends pets as well. After all of this experience, I've come to realize that the absolute best dog food is ORIJEN dry food, and the best treat is an all natural BULLY STICK. I buy my ORIJEN at Nashville Pet Products (4066 Andrew Jackson Pkwy, Hermitage, TN 37076) and my BULLY STICKS from bestbullysticks.com

These don't have any fillers or unnatural ingredients, they are low carb and are made from the natural food sources eaten by animals in the wild, and they are extremely healthy. Since switching to these, my dogs have been able to eat all they want, I leave the bowls down and full 24x7, and my vets have frequently commented that they've never seen healthier pets. They are ideal weight, great teeth, never had a health problem at all.

I also occasionally get them PUPCORN from Walmart, and CET Virbac chews, both of which are healthy too.

Did they gorge themselves in the beginning when you do that? Are the inside or outside dogs? I have a dachshund who is slightly overweight and is eating the recommended amount each day. He does get decent exercise as well since we have a large fenced yard. I have been contemplating switching food.

 

We are currently feeding Science Diet "Active Fitness".

[wileecoyote]

Did they gorge themselves in the beginning when you do that? Are the inside or outside dogs? I have a dachshund who is slightly overweight and is eating the recommended amount each day. He does get decent exercise as well since we have a large fenced yard. I have been contemplating switching food.

We are currently feeding Science Diet "Active Fitness".

Inside dogs. No, they never gorged when switched to ORIJEN. But they would eat it enthusiastically and really enjoy it, which I'd never seen them do with any other dry food before. Now they just eat until they are full, and they don't have to gorge because the food is always available, and they don't get fat because it's very low carb being made almost entirely of real meats with a little veggies. They also do #2 a lot less often, and have smaller stools, which is healthier benefit of a low carb diet. The bully sticks and CET chews keep their teeth perfect, and they love all of this stuff.

If you've never tried ORIJEN, just go and get a small sample bag and you'll see what I mean. I previously tried and used many of the other "top brands" including Hills, Nutro, Pedigree, etc. but their ingredients don't come close to the quality and benefits of ORIJEN. I'll never go back. Edited March 31, 2015 by wileecoyote

[maroonandwhite]

Cool. I'll have to give it a shot.

[Motasyco]

No treat makes my dogs more excited than good old American made pork skins.